How to Love a Werewolf, or Lose Your Mind Trying
by Opalecent
Summary: The War is over, and the students are returning to Hogwarts. N.E.W.T.s hormones and crazy teachers run rampant  not to mention a few remaining death eaters  and the students aren't the only ones feeling it! Mostly AU, with a little bit of angst thrown in.
1. Chapter 1

"3, 2, 1, fire!" Hermione's hands flew to her ears just in time to muffle the loud explosion as Harry, Ron, and George fired blasting curses at Mrs. Black's painting. The house shook and dust fell from the ceiling as Hermione held her breath, waiting for that tell-tale scream. There was a moment of silence and Hermione slowly lowered her ears, before the screams began. She pulled out her wand and cast a quick silencing charm, once again quieting the Grimmauld Place library.

It had been going on for days. Even though the war was over, there were still many death eater's at large, so once again the Order fled to the safety of Grimmauld Place. The dark foreboding building was too much for most, and so redecorating had commenced. Color had been added to the walls, furniture restored, and the stairs no longer squeaked. The painting was the last remnant of the rule of the House of Black. They'd tried everything; blasting, burning, pulling, prying, but nothing could remove the screaming woman from the wall.

"I swear, if that damn woman doesn't shut up I'm going to paint a picture of myself so I can pummel her in her own frame!" The door opened and the youngest Weasley rushed in, hands over ears. Ginny sighed happily as she entered the protected room, dropping into one of the overstuffed armchairs that decorated the library.

"I'm sure someone will figure out something soon." Hermione said with a smile, understanding Ginny's frustration. Mrs. Black had become even more abrasive than before, howling at all ends of the night, putting everyone on edge. Ginny rolled her eyes, dropping her head onto her hand.

"That's what Harry said last night, when the banshee queen interrupted-"

"Ginny I _don't_ want to hear about that."

Ginny smirked, knowing it irked Hermione when she tried to discuss her's and Harry's sex life.

"Oh fine. What are you doing down here anyway?"

Hermione sighed and closed her book, deciding she wasn't going to get any reading done. "I was trying to study. I want to be prepared when the next term begins."

A groan escaped Ginny's throat as she dramatically slumped further into her chair.

"As if you need to study. You spent all of last year finding and destroying horcrux's. If anyone needs to be studying its Ron."

"Does that mean you were able to talk him into it?" Hermione perked up, as thus far she had been unable to convince Ron to return to Hogwarts with them in the coming fall. Although they had all been given the chance to continue on in their magical careers, McGonagall had offered, and suggested, that all students previously in their 7th year return to Hogwarts to train properly, and receive their N.E.W.T.s.

With a relaxed shrug Ginny smiled, holding her hand up to stave off Hermione's excitement.

"Now don't go all giddy on me. I used some greasy tactics to get him to agree, and it's probably going to make your life a living hell for the next year. I told him he might have another chance with you if he goes back to school."

A thud echoed around the room as Hermione's head hit the desk. Since that moment in the Chamber of Secrets, their relationship had been strained, to say the least. Hermione had wanted them to take some time to see how they felt, believing their encounter to be caused by heightened adrenaline and the very real risk of death. Once it wore off, she wasn't certain how she felt, and broke off anything she and Ron had. Since that moment Ron bounced between a sad, lost puppy, following her around with big, wet, doe eyes; and a fiery tempered man who almost frightened her.

"Why would you make him think that? Why? Now he's never going to give me a moment's peace."

"I figured you'd be willing to part with some Hermione time if it meant Ron would finish off his education. I know how important school is to you." Ginny said, batting her eyelashes sweetly.

_She would use that against me..._ Hermione sighed and lifted her head off the desk, rubbing the spot where it had connected with the hard wood. The door to the library once again swung open, this time revealing a disheartened Harry.

"Now that Mrs. Black has shut up, Molly wanted to me to tell you that dinner is ready."

The girls shuffled into the dining room, finding seats around the large table. Some of the Order was there, but the empty seats were a stark reminder of who were gone. Hermione glanced about the table, studying the faces of her friends.

Molly Weasley spent most of her time cleaning, keeping her mind as busy as possible. When she wasn't cleaning she was chasing after at least one of her children, scolding and threatening punishment if they didn't behave "properly". Most believed she was trying to pretend Fred was still there.

When he wasn't working at the Ministry, Arthur Weasley was unusually quiet. He would sit silent for hours, staring into space, or reading a muggle book.

George Weasley sat twirling a fork, his eyes hollow. Hermione knew he hadn't been sleeping well, as he often joined her in the kitchen late at night. They would sit in silence, sharing a pot of tea. Most nights she had it prepared before he even made it down the stairs.

To her right Harry and Ginny sat cuddled together, as close as they could be without a stern look from Molly. Ginny was handling the grieving process better than anyone else, possibly because she had Harry to distract her.

Nymphadora Tonks sat at the far end of the table, her eyes darting from her plate to Remus Lupin, who sat directly in front of Hermione.

Hermione knew from her study of Lycanthropy that her former Professor could sense Tonks' stares, and his tension was visible. Hermione tried to stay out of the personal business of the other members of the Order, but sometimes, when a person yells loud enough, it can't be helped. She knew their relationship was rocky. Tonks wanted to settle down, quit her job as an Auror, and start a family. For whatever reason, Lupin was against the idea, and the tension it caused could be cut with a knife. By the looks on their faces and the distance between them, they were fighting again.

Someone was missing. As she looked up, Ron entered the room, and although there were many empty chairs, he circled around the table and took the chair to her left. She took a steadying breath and tried her best to be friendly. Ron had lost a brother and Hermione knew he needed her friendship. She wasn't about to deny him it.

Pots and pans floated in from the kitchen, passing out large servings of roast duck, potatoes, peas, carrots, and freshly baked bread. Dinner had become a fairly silent affair, one that often made Hermione extremely uncomfortable. Minutes in, just as she felt she would burst, the air around the room began to stir, and she wasn't the only one to notice it.

Lupin's head shot up, his eyes darting around the room. He and Hermione were the first to stand, their wands ready as the wind began to whip her curls around her face.

"What the devil is going on?" shouted Arthur, his voice nearly inaudible over the screaming winds. Before anyone could respond there was a flash of blue light, blinding them all and sending them crashing to the ground. The air calmed and the room was filled with an eerie silence. In one slow movement, the group stood, wands held tightly in their hands. Hermione thought she was prepared for anything, but as her eyes cleared the top of the table, she learned she was far from prepared to see this. The naked, unconscious, but very alive form of Sirius Black.

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><p>~Author's Note~ Finally back from a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, time away from writing. I'm getting back into the swing of things, and I'm trying somethings new. First off is I'm hoping to keep the angst to a minimum, as all my previous stories have been angst-fests. Feedback would be awesome to know how well I'm managing! Sorry the first chapter is so short, but I will hopefully have the next chapter up either later tonight or tomorrow.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

No one moved. No one spoke. Even Harry seemed turned to stone as they all stared at the naked, prone form of one Sirius Black. Hermione snapped her eyes from him, and spotted Arthur's cloak dangling over one of the chairs._ "Thank Merlin he's on his stomach!"_ She scooped it up and gently draped it over Sirius, as if afraid that touching him would make him disappear. Still no one moved. She turned to Harry, who's eyes were void of emotion, his mouth agape. Next she turned to Lupin, who oddly wore the same expression as Harry.

She huffed and with a single, loud stomp of her foot, jarred everyone out of their stupor.

"Would someone like to help me get him off of the table, please?"

Lupin and Harry jumped forward and, cradling the man between them while careful to keep his privates as covered as possible, carried him up the stairs.. Molly followed them, while Hermione grabbed her own cloak off the rack.

"I'm going to get Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey. I have a feeling we're going to need both of them."

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><p>Hermione lay in bed, her mind racing with possibilities. It was nearly 2am, 7 hours after Sirius, a man who was supposed to be dead, dropped onto their dining room table. As soon as McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey had arrived, they'd shooed everyone from the room, and were not allowing Sirius any visitors.<p>

Around midnight McGonagall had emerged from Sirius' room and informed them that he was awake, but his memory was hazy. He had no perception of time, and how long he'd been in the Veil. What had been a few years, had seemed an eternity to him. He didn't know how he'd returned, only that something had called to him, had been calling to him for as long as he could remember. When he finally reached what he'd been longing to find, he lost all thought, and eventually woke in his bed.

Now Hermione found herself wondering how Sirius had returned from the Veil. No one knew what was in there, and not only had he fallen in, but he'd been murdered before his body even entered it.

With a frustrated grunt she tossed her covers aside, quietly left her room, and made her way down to the kitchen. Normally she boiled her water for tea without magic, but tonight her mind was going too fast a pace to wait. She magically heated the kettle and prepared the tea, conjuring a second cup for her usual nighttime guest. A shadow passed across the door and she turned, cup extended to hand to George. Though the face she met was not George's, it was the startled face of her former Professor.

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><p>It had been happening every night for the past 3 weeks. Between midnight and 2am, someone tiptoed out of their room, into the kitchen, and within minutes the sweetest smell would drift through the house. Remus believed that only he could smell it, but soon another person began joining the first in the kitchen. Like clockwork he heard it, and the following smell would keep him awake for hours. The only thing that kept him from following the entrancing smell down the stairs was his inability to interrupt whomever the couple was who met so routinely.<p>

But this night was different. Out of thin air, when he needed him most, Sirius had appeared, nude as the day he was born without even a tattoo to mar his figure. It was as if the Gods had seen fit to give him a second chance, with a new body to boot. Remus' mind was racing, and he hoped that sweet, sweet smell would be able to calm his frayed nerves.

He waited a few minutes to see if the second, heavier pair of footsteps made the path down the stairs, but none came. He couldn't stand it any longer. He followed the intoxicating aroma down the stairs and into the kitchen. As he rounded the corner, the sight he met was almost enough to cause a heart attack.

Hermione, whom he never saw any way but completely composed, was standing in the kitchen in a pair of sleeping shorts and a tank top, her feet bare. Her hair, which she had learned to tame to calm sophisticated curls, was once again a tangled mess framing her face.

Her back was to him and he was certainly seeing her in a new light, and in the minimal attire he could truly see the woman she had grown to be. No longer the pre-teen book worm, Hermione was all woman. Where the only other girl in the house her age was small and muscular from years of playing quidditch, Hermione was full figured and curvaceous.

Remus' eyes darted over her body, from her perfectly shaped legs, to a round firm arse, over full hips, and up to that messy hair. His breath caught as she shifted to pour the tea before he finally realized what he was doing. _"Bloody hell man, you just ogled your former student!"_

He felt a second presence welling inside him, and internally groaned. He felt the wolf before he heard him. _"And why wouldn't we ogle her. She's prime meat. If you only knew what I would do to that beautiful, round-"_ Remus interrupted the wolf's thought process, feeling the heat he was causing rise up in him. _"I don't want to know what you would do to her, because it is never going to happen. We have Dora. We should never look at Hermione that way."_ The wolf let out a dissatisfied moan. _"That girl could never give us what we need. She only cares about her own pleasure. You never let me out when with her, and you cannot be fully satisfied if I am not satisfied. But Hermione, she could take me. I know she could. I can smell it."_

The heat rose within him again and Remus forced the wolf back down, shaking his head to clear it of the unclean thoughts. He took an unsteady breath and stepped fully into the kitchen, and just as he was about to announce his presence she turned with a smile on her face. The smile faded as she saw him and he began to shrink back.

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><p>"Professor! I wasn't expecting to see you up so late." Hermione had been expecting to see George when she turned around. Her surprise caught her off guard, and somehow she felt she may have offended her former professor.<p>

"One could say the same of you I suppose." he said with a slight shrug. "I'm sorry if I bothered you, I'll just leave-"

"Oh no Professor, you don't have to leave. Is there something you needed?" she sat at the table, levitating the tea kettle and cups to her. Remus took a step into the kitchen, his head bowed slightly and hands tucked into his pockets.

"Well, for a few weeks now I've been smelling the sweetest aroma every night. I just couldn't help myself. I had to come down and see what it was." Hermione's eyes widened and a flush rose from her neck to her face.

"I am so sorry Professor. I didn't realize anyone could smell my tea. Usually George comes down and joins me for a cup, but that's just because he has trouble sleeping."

"_So that was who had been following her."_ The wolf growled inside but Remus ignored it. "Well, anyone other than me wouldn't smell it. The wolf in me gives me a much keener sense of hearing and smell."

With a groan Hermione smacked her forehead. "I should have known that. I'm so sorry Professor, I didn't mean to keep you up."

Remus chuckled and took a seat at the table. "It's quite alright Hermione. You can repay me by sliding that spare cup you have there over to me." Hermione floated the cup across the table to him, smiling. "And one other thing. You don't have to call me Professor anymore. You can call me Remus."

A fresh blush crept into her cheeks and she shook her head fiercely. "Considering you were probably the best professor I ever had in school, I can't imagine calling you anything else."

Remus nodded, feeling his heart sink slightly. "No matter, whatever you feel comfortable with. Now, if you don't mind my asking, what in the world are you doing up so late?"

Hermione sipped her tea, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I've been having problems sleeping as of late, so as you know, I've been making myself some tea every night. But tonight was different. I just can't get the questions out of my head!"

Remus' back straightened, fairly sure he knew what was bothering her. "You can't stop wondering how Sirius came back from the Veil, can you?"

Without a response, Hermione stood and began to pace rapidly around the kitchen. He watched her as she circled, thinking out loud. "It is mind boggling. He was dead before he fell in. I saw the curse hit him! And did you see his body on the table? Not a tattoo or scar, just fresh skin, like that of a newborn baby. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around an answer. It is beyond irritating."

He chuckled and finished his tea, feeling more relaxed. "Perhaps, after hearing all the facts from Sirius himself, you and I can work on an answer together. It can be our little project before you return to school. I'm sure you could use something to keep that mind of yours occupied."

Hermione's eyes danced and a smile lit her face. "Would you help me? I know the boys are just as curious, and I don't mean to be rude, but I need someone of more intellect for this. And you are just the person!"

This time it was Remus' turn to blush, and he tried to stop the flutter in his heart at her compliment. "Of course I will help you, Hermione. As soon as Sirius is able to speak to us, we'll get working on it. Now, it's late. Young ladies like you should be in bed, and werewolves like me need a midnight snack." He watched her as she bounced up the stairs before groaning and dropping his head onto the table. "What has gotten into me? I'm acting like a love struck school boy, and now I've gone and gotten myself mixed up in a project with her."

As a final thought hit him he groaned again, slamming his head once more for good measure. "What is Dora going to say?"

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><p>~Author's Note~ Thank you so much for the reviews. I had meant to post this chapter this morning, but unforeseeable circumstances got in the way. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up by tomorrow night.<p> 


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